Category: Data Storage

The fifth generation Ultrium LTO 5 tape is one of most recent entrants into the computer data storage scene, following the continued success of this data storage media as seen in the preceding LTO versions. Millions of such computer tape cartridges have been produced and acquired by both organizations and individuals since their inception. Even so, this trend is set to continue on, further cementing the utility of this data storage media.

How Well Will LTO Tapes Cope In Future?

When considering the most suitable option for data storage, every firm must consider how well a particular storage media would cope in face of new and emerging trends. You definitely don’t want to be stuck with a device that becomes completely useless after just 5 or 10 years.

So, what new emerging trends are we likely to face? Well, for starters, a survey by the International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that as much as 40 billion terabytes (zettabytes) of data would have been accumulated by the year 2020. That’s definitely set to be an astoundingly massive increase within just 8 years, considering that the year 2012 had only a mere 3 terabytes of accumulated data.

Considering just how fast data is accumulating, it has become ever more important for companies and individuals to invest in the most viable data storage options. Without a doubt, nearly every company is keen on increasing its data storage and backup capacity in order to face the growing challenge. Ultrium LTO cartridges provide one of the most effective options, if not the best option, for data storage and backup.

How LTO Tapes Can Handle Different Categories Of Stored Data

Even as you consider effective storage of data, you must know exactly how to manage different forms of stored data. You need to know whether the storage media you opt for would properly handle the particular type of data you have:

1. Operational Data: This is a category that consists of data that’s often worked on daily. Hence, you need to have a system that affords quick and easy access, while maintaining minimal operating costs. Moreover, the storage media in use should be able to handle the constant use without undue deterioration.

2. Legacy Data: such a category involves data that’s not often accessed.

3. Critical Data: For any enterprise, this is the most critical data upon which the business survival depends. When considering the most appropriate media for storage in this category, the aspects of safety and security play a crucial role. Also having proper disposal mechanisms when the data is no longer useful is necessary.

In serving the varied functions of storing up different forms of data, LTO tapes offer a multitude of benefits. Considering the aspect of security, offline data storage is made possible using tape cartridges; hence, making them immune to software corruption by hackers and viruses, or even human error. Such tapes also have a very long shelf-life, lasting for as long as 30 years without undue deterioration. Based on these factors, you can clearly see why LTO tapes are such an indispensable media for every company.

Did you know that nearly all the companies (93%, to be precise) that lose their entire data for a period of 10 or more days end up filing for bankruptcy within just one year following the disaster? This is based on data from the US Archives and Records Administration. You definitely wouldn’t want to deliberately destroy your business, but you might actually be doing it subconsciously.

So many people overlook the simple aspect of data backup, which can be conveniently executed by setting up a data management system using LTO3 cartridges. For sure, it’s not that people intend to lose their precious data, but it’s often a subconscious play of Russian roulette.

I. You Have High-Quality Equipment Which You Don’t Expect To Fail

Many organizations and individuals would often purchase high-quality tech gadgets that are designed to last long and withstand unnecessary wear and tear. This shows that they don’t deliberately intend to lose their precious data. However, the problem arises when you don’t have any fail-safe mechanism in the off-chance that your equipment fails.
You should consider a viable backup system to protect your information. In this regard, you have various options including offsite physical tape backups or online cloud backups. When you have a good backup plan, following the best industry practice, your information and business would be so much more secure.

II. You Don’t Think Your Information Is Valuable Enough

Perhaps, the information you have isn’t too valuable. There’s nothing really sensitive about it; hence, it doesn’t seem to require backing up. However, you should consider the amount of time and effort you would spend in trying to restore or rebuild such information when you do lose it. This is time, effort and cost that you could use in handling other issues.
Another issue that you should avoid is saving your data in only one location in your device. You should at least have more than one copy of your documents. You wouldn’t want to spend more time trying to redo a previously completed assignment, in case the original get has deleted or irreversibly changed.

III. You Have A Flawlessly Organized System

When everything is going as planned, you’re not likely to worry about disasters. However, even a well-organized and properly planned system can go wrong. It would be so unfortunate if you were to wait for an accident to happen in order to consider setting up a backup system.

Although many people tend to ignore data backup, it’s a crucial aspect of IT. If you want your business to continue running with little interruptions, you must always set up a data backup system. The future stability of your organization would greatly depend on the integrity of your information storage systems.

Perhaps your indifference to the concept of backing up data has to do with your perception of the issue. You might think that it’s a really complicated thing or that it requires a certain level of expertise beyond what you can handle. Well, the simple explanation is that backing up basically involves making one or more copies of your data.

To some people, backing up your data may appear as a formidable challenge which leads them to put it off indefinitely. However, the process might just be easier than you think, especially with advanced data storage media, such as the LTO 7 cartridges.

First Step – Identify The Important Data

Maybe the reason you think data backup is a demanding task is simply because you mistakenly assume that you need to store every single bit of information. In reality, not every piece of data you have is important enough for storage.

There are certain types of data that can be easily reinstalled from their original sources, in case you need to. This includes such things as computer games and certain applications. Hence, you shouldn’t waste too much space in your storage media by keeping such data.

You should be able to identify the most critical data that requires backup, based on the documents and photos you create. These are generally items you use in business operations or personal use.

However, based on certain regulatory requirements (for instance, guidelines on informed consent by the Australian National Data Service), as well as business policies, you may not have to back up certain types of information. Moreover, the policy implemented by your company may only require storage of certain critical information, which further reduces the need for unnecessarily large data backup capacity.

Second Step – Using Multiple Backups

To further reduce the risk of loss, even in data backup, it’s necessary to have multiple backup options.
Although this might seem like an unnecessary additional task, it does offer greater security for your most crucial information. You might have certain data that is crucial to the operations of your business; hence, you need greater security.
It’s wise to take advantage of different backup media, for added security. In this way, when one media experiences some form of failure, you’re not likely to have a similar experience with another media option. You might complement LTO Ultrium cartridges with hard disks and cloud storage.

Third Step – Chose The Appropriate Frequency Of Backup

Having a regular frequency of backup is just as important as having the right backup media. If the frequency of data production is high, you would need much more frequent backup; whereas, you would need lower backup frequency if you deal with much less data.

For such backup processes to match effectively with your data storage needs, your business should have clearly defined operational procedures. The processes need to be properly monitored by competent personnel, as well as evaluating the infrastructure supporting it. Just as you would have clearly defined guidelines on other critical business operations, it’s necessary to have clearly defined guidelines on data backup operations.

It should be clear what is involved in the process and who is responsible for the various activities in such processes. A proper plan should also be made in case problems arise in the backup processes. This means having good disaster management strategies if any storage infrastructure is affected (certain issues that may arise include theft or natural disasters).
By following these three simple steps, it would be possible to preserve your valuable data despite many challenges.